Chiefs-Colts showdown shaping up as a classic - snow or not

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck dives for a touchdown against the Chiefs during their wildcard game on Jan. 4, 2014. The Colts staged a legendary rally from a 38-10 third quarter deficit to win 45-44. (Michael Conroy/The Associated Press)

KANSAS CITY — Expect a distinct Canadian flavour to what could very well be the best, and highest scoring, NFL playoff game of the weekend.

Expect it to be played in snow. Perhaps even a lot of it.

Forecasts in these parts called for the white stuff to start falling around midnight Friday — it actually began about nine hours earlier, in the afternoon — with a 70% chance of more on Saturday morning and leading into the Kansas City Chiefs-Indianapolis Colts AFC divisional matchup.

All told, they were calling for less than 10 cm, but that was when they predicted it would start in the middle of the night. The update at 3 p.m. was between 8-13 cm.

With a $2.2-million heating system under the turf at Arrowhead Stadium that is supposed to keep it at 10 C all the time, the snow could just provide a pretty setting as it falls to the ground. Or it could fall heavier than expected and make for slippery conditions.

Either way, the weather was the hot topic of questions in both Kansas City and Indianapolis the past couple of days.

“Somebody asked me early, ‘well maybe you guys want bad weather that would favour you because you can run the ball,” Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters Thursday. “I try to stay with the mindset of whatever the weather is, it’s to the advantage of the best team. I just believe that travels. I believe that’s the way to approach it. I literally think whatever the weather is, it favours the best team.”

It other words, a non-factor, says Reich.

“I’m aware of it,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, wearing his team parka and shorts, said of the forecast on Thursday. “I can’t do anything about it. Whatever happens, happens. Both teams are playing in it, and we will roll.”

As for which is the better team, well that’s a great question. Flip of the coin, really. Depends on the day.

Led by MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs won five games out of the gate and nine of their first 10 before a 3-3 finished had them needing a tie-breaker with the Los Angeles Chargers to take the AFC West title. Home-field advantage is theirs all the way to the Super Bowl, and it should be against the sizzling Colts.

After a 1-5 start under the new boss, no team is currently playing better than Indianapolis, which has won 11-of-12 games since Oct. 21. The Colts staged a legendary rally from a 38-10 third quarter deficit to win 45-44 when the two teams last met in the playoffs (2013 wild card game).

The comeback they made from their rocky start this season is even more impressive.

“Certainly, it’s a very good run that the players and the coaching staff have done a great job on,” he said. “I think the hardest thing to do is just maintain that high level. I think if anything, for a young team per se, that’s been one of the best things for me to see.”

Reich, who was the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles last year, is also the author of the greatest playoff comeback in NFL history. He threw three touchdown passes as the Buffalo Bills erased a 35-3 Houston Oilers lead to win a 1992 wildcard game 41-38.

Meanwhile, the Colts comeback against the Chiefs five years ago was the second greatest comeback ever witnessed in the playoffs.

That day the Colts were down by 28 points with 13:39 left in the third quarter, before quarterback Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton revved it up, ultimately combining on 13 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Hilton remains as dangerous as ever, but the Colts have other weapons. Under-rated second-year running back Marlon Mack rushed for 148 yards in last week’s win over the Texans. Since Week 12, the Chiefs have had the second worst run defence in the league. If it’s cold and snowy, Mack could very well be the star of the game.

Then there’s tight end Eric Ebron, who scored 14 touchdowns this season and now has the added motivation of playing in the same big game as the Chiefs’ record-breaking tight end, Travis Kelce.

“You could try to hide it, but when you go up against someone that they claim is the best in football, one of your goals is to have a better showing, have a better performance than he does,” said Ebron. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Against a Chiefs defence that ranked 31st in yards allowed, it’s easy to imagine these Colts throwing a lot of points on the board. It’s easy to imagine another K.C.-Indy playoff shootout.

But playing at Arrowhead, which is said to be one of, if not the loudest stadium in the NFL, will definitely be an advantage for the Chiefs. They were 7-1 at home this season. And while they allowed an average of 34.6 points a game on the road, they only gave up 18 per outing at Arrowhead.

Communication for the visiting offence will be more difficult than ever, with fans doing all they can to help end a playoff home losing streak at six games.

“It’s going to be fun,” said Kelce. “The city is going. You can feel the energy in the air. You know it’s going to be a fun game on Saturday. Sure enough, we’ll go out there and give the city everything we’ve got.”

In a story on NFL.com a year ago on the top 10 NFL playoff snow games of all-time, Green Bay was listed three times, New England twice and Philadelphia twice.